Nuggets news: Nikola Jokic eyes his first All-Star Game trip

Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic wants to make his first All-Star team in 2018-19. Jokic signed a five-year, $147.7 million extension with Denver in July.

Coming off a career season in 2017-18 in which he averaged 18.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic was rewarded with a five-year, $147.7 million maximum contract extension from the franchise in July.

Jokic, 23, is one of the best young players in the game and the unquestioned leader of the Nuggets. Denver missed the 2018 playoffs last season after they lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves on the last day of the year. Jokic and the rest of his teammates used that defeat as motivation throughout the offseason.

Obviously, Jokic wants to get to the postseason this year and compete for a championship, but that's the team goal. His personal goal is to make the All-Star team for the first time in his career, via DenverStiffs.com.

The Western Conference is full of elite players, making it tough for guys like Jokic, who plays in a small market, to get enough votes to be a starter. However, after a stellar campaign last year, there's a solid chance Jokic can get in as a reserve if he duplicates his 2017-18 numbers. The coaches vote for the All-Star reserves.

Nikola Jokic is not only a walking double-double, he's a threat to rack up a triple-double any given night. The 6-foot-10 center registered 10 triple-doubles last season and averaged 6.1 assists per game. Jokic has established himself as one of the best passers in the game from the big man position.

Led by Jokic, the Nuggets have an extremely bright future. Guards Jamal Murray and Gary Harris are two of the best 3-point shooters in the league, and veteran power forward Paul Millsap is looking to redeem himself in his second year with the Nuggets after playing only 38 games in 2017-18. Millsap underwent surgery on his left wrist.

If Jokic makes the All-Star team this season, he will be the first Nugget since Carmelo Anthony (2010-11) to do so.